In short
The episode reviews The Hundred finals at Lord’s and the day-after fallout. It says Oval Invincibles won the men’s final for a third straight time and were “by far the best side,” while Northern Superchargers won the women’s title after a standout, “magical” innings by 18-year-old Davina Perrin (noted as a hugely significant moment for the women’s game and the ACE pathway). Key examples include Perrin’s memorable 100/knockout performance, and the Superchargers’ peaking at the right time despite the Brave’s earlier winning streak. Guests discussed: Davina Perrin (Phoenix; young England prospect), Stewart Broad (mentioned), Ben Stokes (mentioned), Joe Root (example of grounded enthusiasm), and franchise players like Sam Billings, Tawanda Moye, Jordan Cox, Rashid Khan, Adam Zampa, and Donovan Ferreira. They also debate franchise strategy (core retention vs draft/auction), venue atmosphere, and whether the Hundred should stay 100 balls or switch to T20.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VORecap of The Hundred Finals
0:31 to 3:06
Insights on the atmosphere and outcomes of The Hundred finals at Lords and the Oval.
“Unfortunately, like I say, not two particularly close games and the Invincibles winning three on the bounce.”
Davina Perrin's Breakthrough
3:06 to 4:36
Discussion on Davina Perrin's remarkable performance and its significance for women's cricket.
“And totally unaffected interviews that she gave afterwards, one to Butch, one to Kumar with her family all looking down.”
Advice for Young Talents
4:36 to 5:54
Exploring how young players like Davina Perrin can manage fame and success in cricket.
“You're not going to be able to play like that every game, I suppose.”
Female Players in The Hundred
5:54 to 7:57
Analysis of the performance of female players compared to their male counterparts in The Hundred.
“I mean, maybe not at 16 and 17, like occasionally, on the subcontinent.”
Oval Invincibles' Success
7:57 to 10:12
Investigating why the Oval Invincibles are successful in The Hundred and their team dynamics.
“I thought it was a real good tournament for the really young Davina Perrin, Jodie Grucock, Tilly Courtine Coleman.”
Lords vs. Oval for Finals
10:12 to 14:01
Debate on the suitability of Lords versus the Oval for hosting Finals in The Hundred.
“Just sit there on the app having a look at all the permutations.”
Evaluating the Oval Experience
14:01 to 17:09
Discussion on the superior experience at the Oval compared to other venues.
“I think I know you've got a bad game with the weather, but when I turn up to the Oval, it is the best experience in the 100 by far.”
Home Ground Advantage in Finals
17:10 to 19:30
Debate on whether finals should be held at the top teams' home grounds.
“I do feel, I mean, we'll come on to this in a minute because it'll determine a little bit how the shape of the tournament goes in future.”
Identity and Changes in The Hundred
19:31 to 21:28
Concerns about changes to team identities and formats in the Hundred.
“chopping and changing because it's a month tournament it's not like the IPL or the NFL in America or even the Premier League, every sport has changing.”
Money vs. Emotion in Sports
21:29 to 24:43
Discussion on balancing financial aspects with the emotional connection to cricket.
“The reports seem more certain that it's going to change from a draft to an auction.”
Show all 19 chapters
County Cricket Highlights and Scheduling Issues
27:01 to 28:01
Recap of county cricket quarterfinals and scheduling challenges faced.
“Just moving on from that, as the 100 was coming to its conclusion, there was plenty of county cricket on the one-day cup.”
Scheduling Issues in Cricket Tournaments
28:01 to 28:50
Explore the challenges faced by cricket tournaments due to scheduling conflicts.
“So they had to suddenly rush an organised game at a club ground, Radler.”
Young Talents in Metro Bank One Day Cup
28:51 to 30:36
Learn about emerging young players making their mark in the Metro Bank competition.
“And we've got the final now because Worcestershire beat Somerset yesterday and Hampshire beat Yorkshire.”
Upcoming Blast Quarterfinals
30:37 to 31:15
Get insights into the teams and matches to watch in the upcoming Blast quarterfinals.
“some quite interesting outgrounds where the games are being played, and some good crowds at the outgrounds as well.”
England's White Ball Cricket Analysis
31:16 to 34:06
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of England's white-ball cricket team as they prepare for upcoming matches.
“And my next action is the T20s against South Africa because I'm a bit of a T20 international specialist.”
Challenges for Australia's Cricket Team
34:07 to 36:08
Examine the depth and performance challenges facing Australia's cricket team ahead of the Ashes.
“in the Champions Trophy, all right arm fast, and then heavily reliant on Adil Rashid.”
Tribute to Chiteshwar Pujara and Number Three Batsmen
36:09 to 38:08
Reflect on the career of Chiteshwar Pujara and the evolving role of number three batsmen in cricket.
“took a thumping in the third game, but beat them 2-1.”
Pat Cummins' Injury Concerns
38:09 to 38:36
Discuss the potential impact of Pat Cummins' back issues on Australia's cricket strategy.
“There was just a report that on a routine scan, maybe something showed up.”
Final Thoughts and Upcoming Matches
38:37 to 40:51
Wrap up the discussion with thoughts on upcoming matches and personal updates.
“So that's an interesting little story with the Ashes looming a couple of months away now.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Nas:Yeah, gone!
0:02Ath:Gone, he gets his fairytale ending! An epic way to go to a Test Match 100. The London Spirit of First Time winner is the most remarkable thing you'll probably ever see in cricket.
0:16Nas:604 and final Test Wicket for Stewart Ball. It's India will win the T20 World Cup.
0:22Ath:England's captain Ben Stokes, while he is there, England have hope.
0:31Ath:okay welcome to the sky cricket podcast the day after the end of the hundred the finals yesterday at lords nash you were there i wasn't how was it it was good it was a great event
0:42Nas:actually lords was pretty much a sellout they were queuing to get in really early again not to particularly close games but it was a really good event a real good feel to it as ever there were so many families i went i went for a bit of lunch inst john's wood around about midday and there were loads of families sort of milling around, getting coffees and getting hugely excited about the cricket ahead. Unfortunately, like I say, not two particularly close games and the Invincibles winning three on the bounce. They look by far the best side in the competition for a long time now. And the Superchargers, I mean, you did them the day before and you did the innings of the 100 probably not only this year, but maybe in the whole tournament ever.
1:28Nas:and that was Davina Perrin. They looked a very, very strong side. The Brave had won every game in a row, but the Superchargers just looked like they were peaking at the right time. Fair to say I got the easier gig. I was finished around about 9 o 'clock. I put my telly on at 10.15 the day before, and you were hanging in there for some action late in that evening trying to get that game done. It looked like a long day, the Eliminator.
1:56Ath:Yeah, it was a farcical end, actually. Yeah, my daughter was doing some waitressing at the 100 final, so I picked her up about 8.30, and people were streaming out at Lourdes. You know, that was about half an hour before the end, so it was obviously because it wasn't a close finish, whereas at the Oval the night before, we were still there. Mind you, they'd been streaming out then as well because of the rain, but we were still there at, I think, 10.15. They asked the local council, I think To try and extend the amount of time To which the lights could be put on And so, yeah, they tried their best to get it in It was just one of those, you know What can you do?
2:34Ath:It rains I mean, it was hammering it down And it was 10-15 And we just couldn't get the game complete But the umpires, the ground staff, everybody tried their best And it was a shame I fancied the Northern Superchargers to do a bit of a double Actually, on the Saturday day I fancied the men to beat the Rockets had had we had a proper gain just as a you know the women won earlier in the day and that was a magical magical innings from Davina Perry and it was really as you say I think the best thing that came out of out of the whole competition her innings was memorable magical brilliant interviews that she did afterwards and and I used the word
3:16Nas:yesterday significant as well with with everything that's trying to be achieved in the women's game and everything that ebony and the ace program and obviously that famous old ground you know we were brought up with west indian british west indian fans strolling in there and and running on the pitch at the end for everything that they're trying to achieve in the women's game and with the ace program and seeing davina perrin play like that a hugely significant moment as well There must be young girls now from that community that must think, right, if she can do it, I can do it, surely.
3:50Ath:Absolutely. And totally unaffected interviews that she gave afterwards, one to Butch, one to Kumar with her family all looking down. They're in the ace box, I think, up on the top of the, you know, above the dressing rooms. And it looked to be having a right old time of it. And yeah, just a fabulous, fabulous. It was great innings. I mean, it really was a fantastic innings. And I wasn't that surprised. I remember when she first played for the Phoenix, and she was only getting like 10, 15 or something, or 20. You know, not big innings, but there was something about the way that she played. You could sense that there was a real talent waiting to emerge.
4:32Ath:And I guess the key for her now is to try and do it more consistently. You're not going to be able to play like that every game, I suppose. But, you know, if you look at what she's done in the 100 so far, she got that 70 earlier in the group stages and then the 100 in the knockout. And then, you know, not a lot around that. So if she can bring a greater consistency to her game. But what a talent and bubbly character as well to go with it.
4:59Nas:And I guess, Lath, having good people around you and handling it now because she now becomes a name. Everyone's talking about her. she'll be on the radar for not only England, but also franchises around the world. What would you recommend to anyone? I mean, she's only 18. Are we a bit conservative in England? Remember Key Z last week or whenever we had Rob Key on saying that we're far too conservative in the men's game, they'd probably play her, wouldn't they? Key would say, right, we're going to play you. But just the handling of someone like that, you sort of need good people around you because a lot of things are going to be thrown in her direction.
5:34Nas:She looks like she's very grounded and and very mature for an 18-year-old. But what sort of advice would you give someone like that who's suddenly in the limelight of fame? That's a good question.
5:46Ath:I mean, I actually don't think we're that conservative in English cricket. I disagreed with Rob, actually, not publicly, but I would disagree with that. Because I think if you look down the years, we've thrown players in very young. I mean, maybe not at 16 and 17, like occasionally, on the subcontinent. But, you know, many of our best players have been thrown in young. So I don't think actually we're that conservative. I think it's a kind of cliche that's attached to English cricket and it doesn't bear analysis with the facts. In terms of how, you know, advice, I think you're right. Good people, both family and then in a professional way, you know, coaches and agents and all those kind of things and stay grounded.
6:30Ath:She looked very grounded to me. And, you know, obviously you want to enjoy the success. What's the point of having success if you're not going to enjoy it? But stay grounded and just remember that it all flows, I suppose, from the cricket. You know, that's the thing to take care of the most. And everything else will flow from that. And everything else will take care of itself. But enjoy the game. Look at, you know, examples of people. I always think Joe Root's the great example of somebody who's achieved almost everything in the game, but still retains a love of the game and a love of batting.
7:09Ath:And that enables him to keep practicing hard and keep playing and keep wanting to do it. So I think retain that kind of childlike enthusiasm for it anyway.
7:20Nas:It's a general point with the women's game. What I got out of the 100, and I know we'll go back onto the men's game pretty soon. But what I got out from the 100 in the men's game, there were a lot of local, domestic, England qualified players that were doing really well. If you look at all the rankings and averages, there's obviously overseas, but there was a lot of young domestic or not young, established domestic players. In the women's game, it was, you know, the overseas, in particular Australian overseas, dominated the tournament as we saw yesterday in the final and throughout the tournament.
7:57Nas:And not so much the domestic players, apart from, I thought, the younger players. I thought it was a real good tournament for the really young Davina Perrin, Jodie Grucock, Tilly Courtine Coleman. There was a girl that came in the last few games, Phoebe Brett at the Birmingham Phoenix, another left-arm spinner. And it's how the selectors and the management of the England women's team, I notice in the World Cup squad they selected. they went and stuck with the tried and trusted senior players and how they go about introducing younger players i i was i find interesting with what they do actually because i do think there
8:38Ath:is some real youth coming through that's a challenge for anybody isn't it when to move on from from the great players or or you know an established team we saw that in in the men's limited overs white ball teams you know that under owen morgan 2019 then the world t20 win and you know they started to move people on some people were saying this they moved them on too quickly others are saying they were too slow to move them on i mean it is not an exact science and it's not easy because replacing you know really established experienced players which you have to do at some point um is not straightforward but you're right about i mean i i noted that the top 10 mvp players who just saw a tweet and it was cox in the men's game cox livingston coran jacks willie crawley root banton uh ray and ahmed so you know that they're all english players shows that there's a lot of talent around more depth of talent obviously in the men's game because It's just more established, but shows maybe how poorly England have done in the last few ICC events, given the level of talent.
9:56We should touch on the Oval Invincibles three-timer, which a three-peat from you as well, winning the Fantasy League again.
10:03Nas:Thank you for mentioning that. I noticed you all did that video at the start of the tournament, not Nasser, not Nasser, you know, Kumar and...
10:12Ath:Well, you just use AI to help you. We know there's a cheat.
10:18Nas:Absolutely not. Just sit there on the app having a look at all the permutations. Top. Dagnall was texting me. Root and Banton were batting yesterday. Dagnall had Root. I had Banton. Luckily, Root didn't get many yesterday for my fantasy side. So, top again, Alf. It's not easy. Myself and the Invincibles, three on the bounce between us. So, why are they so good? Why are the Invincibles so good?
10:41Ath:I mean, the interesting thing about franchise cricket, because of the draft system and auction system, is that it's supposed to promote competitive balance. That's the whole kind of point of it. There's quite an interesting interview with Mo Bobat in this month's Cricketer magazine, where he's asked about whether the franchise should, you know, kind of strengthen their pathways and develop players. And he says, well, what's the point? because somebody will just come in and buy that player. What's the point in spending loads of money developing a 13-year-old up to the 18 and then somebody just comes in and buys them at the auction?
11:21Ath:So there's no kind of value in that, if you like. So the whole point of franchise cricket and the drafts and the auctions is to promote competitive balance and yet the Oval have won it three times. So what are they doing well?
11:34Nas:Well, first of all, I think right from the start, they kept and started that affiliation between the Oval Cricket Ground and their team. And they picked a lot of very good Surrey players that was the core of their team and remained the core of their team. And if they weren't Surrey players, they were players from Kent, even though there's a bit of rivalry there. And there'll be a few Kent fans that say, I will never go and watch a game at the Oval and support the Oval Invincibles. But, you know, the likes of Sam Billings as captain, Tawanda Moye, they know each other very well. Jordan Cox, when he was Kent, they get on very well.
12:11Nas:So you have that affiliation, you have that team spirit, bonding, you have consistency, which may come from success or does success come from consistency? I do think it is obviously related, but there you turn up, you see the same names, the same players. They never keep still so that when Adam Zampa is no longer available or they don't want him, they go and pick Rashid Khan, which is a serious, you know, not improvement, but a serious sign that they're not going to keep still. Because if you do keep still, others will go and go past you. So they're constantly trying to improve, but keep that core captain, core coach, core players.
12:49Nas:I think they have a lot of all-rounders. I think that helps. If you look through their sides, right from Will Jacks, who obviously bowls, but then you have the Karan brothers that can come in and do any role. So if they do lose early wickets, they're batting depth. I mean, Sam Billings hardly batted in the tournament. Donovan Ferreira, a great finisher. But if they go down a bowler or bowlers not performing, they have so many options that they can make up for that. So I do think they do things. I think the other thing, and it can't be coincidence, that the two better franchises this year and in general, the Oval Invincibles play on a good pitch and the Northern Superchargers play on a good pitch.
13:28Nas:so that their batters constantly feel in good nick. So even if you're going to a slightly slower pitch or lower pitch, like Lords can be. It was a good surface yesterday, by the way. But they're in good form. Northern Superchargers playing at Headingley. You saw yesterday Litchfield, Sutherland, Davina Perry, and everyone looks in good nick. I think it's a balance like the Trent Rockets play on a slow, low pitch. That's a balance that you want to win all your home games, but you do want to keep your batters in form for the rest of the tournament. So I just think they do things very well at the Oval.
14:04Nas:I think I know you've got a bad game with the weather, but when I turn up to the Oval, it is the best experience in the 100 by far. Best crowd, best pitch, best atmosphere, best team. They just do things very well there, but you can't stand still. Should Lords have the final? If it was like yesterday, if the pitch was like yesterday, I think so. I think they did a pretty good show yesterday. I think in general, I think the Invincibles and the Oval is a better ground for an event.
14:33Ath:Why are you biased against the North? What? There's never, ever, there's never, ever been a domestic one-day final North of Nottingham. Why are you biased against the North? Why not have it at Leeds?
14:46Nas:I'm not biased at all. I was just comparing to where it is at the moment and the other ground that we've been talking about. You make a very valid point. I thought DK made a really good, words I very rarely say, actually. I thought DK made a really good point right at the end yesterday when we were going off air. And I was talking about the lack of tribalism yet that's been, that the ECB wanted with this format. And DK said, well, why don't they just have the final at the ground that is top? But like yesterday, the one problem, and they were a good crowd and they enjoyed it, but there were not many Trent Rockets or Oval Invincible fans in because that's not their ground.
15:28Nas:So it was just a neutral venue with neutral fans enjoying an event. It wasn't like a derby game or a big where everyone cared about the results. So why, if you top the group, you get the home game, you get the final at home.
15:44Ath:How long would you have then to prep the final? I mean, when is it decided who's top? How many days were there in between being top and the final?
15:53Nas:Yeah, that was what he said. There'll be a problem with ticketing. And obviously also with the doubleheader, you will have a women's side that win. They could be somewhere else. So there were issues with that. But what was noticeable yesterday was that it's a neutral ground, neutral venue. And I think it's noticeable about the 100 in general. I don't know. I wanted to ask you about this. when you turn up and you watch the in-ground experience is excellent it is it feels like an event people are enjoying themselves there are loads of families they're really having a good time but it you know is that more important than having something that people really care about what we've brought up on sport is that you're there to support your team or can the hundred just be something that people go and enjoy.
16:41Nas:It's like a theatre experience. There's no end result or you don't really care about who wins or loses. It's just an experience. I feel that's what the 100's become, a good experience in the ground. Do you agree or not?
16:54Ath:I know exactly what you're saying. Funnily enough, a friend of mine went to a game, one of the games, I think it was at the Lourdes or the Lourdes, I can't remember, but he put that question to me on a message. You said, you know, I'm here and it feels like a good event and people are here to enjoy themselves, but they're not necessarily there for the cricket, as it were, or caring about who necessarily wins. I mean, it's a balance to be had. I do feel, I mean, we'll come on to this in a minute because it'll determine a little bit how the shape of the tournament goes in future. But I do believe in the end, the sport has to kind of speak for itself and has to stand for itself.
17:40Ath:Because for longevity's sake, that's where it all comes from, I think. And, you know, obviously this year was a strange year, wasn't it? Because it's a kind of holding pattern this year. The new owners are coming in next year. There's lots of mooted changes. There's going to be changes to some names. So the Oval who have built this brand, the Oval Invincibles, and have won for three years, it sounds like they're going to be called MI London. Now they're going under the Ambani umbrella or the Mumbai Indians umbrella. Manchester are going to become the Manchester, what are they, super giants and lead something or other, whatever they will be, lead sunrises, maybe sunrises leads.
18:24Ath:So those are noted changes It sounds like there might be an auction instead of a draft So the Oval team, for example, might suddenly be very different next year If you can't retain all those players and there's an auction And you'll turn up for the first Oval game And suddenly it's a wholly different team Now, in that comes the chance to get that competitive balance And get other teams stronger but you lose that identity and affinity. And then the other big question is around, you know, whether it's going to remain 100 or whether it's going to change to T20. I was like, just throughout the tournament, actually, just randomly asking players and people involved.
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19:08Ath:And a very split opinion, really. Some love the format and would be disappointed if it changed, and others feel it should change. I mean I wrote down a list of pros and cons but first of all what do you think will happen they'll that it seems more definite they'll go to an auction and probably it seems likely it'll
19:30Nas:stay the same format for now well I personally don't like an auction system I don't like too much chopping and changing because it's a month tournament it's not like the IPL or the NFL in America or even the Premier League, every sport has changing. Every sport has... I mean, we're still going on. We're doing it on a Monday, and ISAC's just about to sign from Newcastle to Liverpool. IPL every year, there's auctions and there's players moving around. The difference is those other major tournaments last longer. So Premier League is, what, six, seven months. The IPL goes on for a very long time, NFL.
20:09Nas:So, yeah, there's a lot of changing, and you look at your team and you go, oh, okay, they've made a lot of changes. But three weeks into it, you know your team. You know where everyone's playing, and you have some kind of affiliation with that team, and you rock up, and you see what's in front of you. With this tournament, you get to three, and I did, by the time we got to week three, you knew who was playing for everyone, and you knew, all right, this is their strengths. This is their weaknesses. This is where they've gone wrong. This is where they've done really well. And then the tournament ends.
20:39Nas:So next year, the Invincibles have got this great franchise going. Next year, they'll have a new name. They could have some new players. By the time we get into it, the tournament's almost ending. So I don't like too much change in the 100. I think by the end of the 100, I'm loving it. At the beginning of the 100, I'm trying to work out who plays for who. And if I'm confused, then people at home just must put on their telly and go, oh, it's the blue team against the green team or the green team against the yellow team. And it looks like good fun, but I thought he was playing or she was playing for someone else last year.
21:16Nas:So I don't like too much chopping and changing. And now changing of names. When we get used to a name, suddenly it's going to be a different name. So it's going to be chaotic for a while again. I don't think this tournament needs chaos.
21:28Ath:It sounds like the auction is going to be a thing. The reports seem more certain that it's going to change from a draft to an auction. So that's going to happen. I mean, in terms of the format, the pros of staying with the 100 balls are the investment in the brand, which has been there for five or six years now, whatever. It's distinctive and different to all the other franchise tournaments. Obviously, 100 balls means that it's shorter than T20, which has its advantages. And as you said, you're familiar with the format. now um against that is is i suppose that you know t20 is the globally recognized short form cricket and will remain so that's going to be the dominant form and there is going to be a champions league at some stage that's going to come back definitely and therefore do you want your your premier short form competition to to just link in with that naturally and also just the kind of international formats being 50 over and T20 in ICC events, which is what Rob Key will be kind of measured against.
22:42Ath:And if his players are not playing 50 over cricket and they're not playing domestic T20 cricket, you know, in England do badly, there'll be some criticism down the line. Those kind of, you know, pros and cons that I was thinking of. But I sense, I don't know because they haven't made these decisions yet. In fact, I think the first meeting of the new board is today. they'll obviously you know ponder these things over the next couple of months or so but i sense it's going to stay a hundred balls for for the near term that would be my guess yeah i'm not
23:13Nas:overly bothered i do think there's too many formats by the way i mean i wouldn't be overly bothered if the issue is the women's game if it becomes um t20 well you don't want to decouple You certainly don't. It's been the great thing of the corner.
23:28Ath:Yeah, the great strength is having both games on the same day.
23:33Nas:And then it becomes like what Indian audience, what time, the time difference, the Indian audience, late at night, which game do they want first? And the one thing we've seen in the last couple of weeks, Seth, is that the owners hold the power. They may only have 49 % of the Oval Invincibles franchise share, but they decide what the name of the new franchise is going to be possibly. So in the end, it looks like it doesn't really matter what me or you think or even more importantly what the ECB thinks. It looks like the people that have paid the cash are going to make the decisions. And that is the worry.
24:12Nas:You could argue that's the worry for English cricket is that it's taken out of the hands of the ECB and the people who paid the cash are going to make the decisions.
24:20Ath:Yeah, they hold the kind of power on the new board. They've got two seats each, each of the franchises. I think it's a discussion in Australia that's happening right now as they're contemplating what we've done here, which is selling the BBL or parts of the BBL on to private enterprise and then this debate over you lose your power and authority over a key month of the summer as you sell it.
24:47Nas:We get to the crux of it in the end, I think, in that I was thinking the other day when someone from, was it the Australian CEO or chairman or whatever, was talking about maybe it's best for Test cricket to move away from everyone playing everyone. And it's not monetarily, as far as finances go, it doesn't make sense. And we're talking about the 100 and how the finances and whoever's paying the finances make the decision. And it goes back to my point about yesterday in the 100. Sport is more than just money. I know sport has to have money. And we're very lucky in England that we do have broadcast rights and Indian owners that want to be part of it or whatever.
25:32Nas:But sport is an emotion, isn't it, surely? And that's what I mean about the 100, that there's got to be an emotional attachment to the cricket. It is an emotion sport. And I think if you just concentrate on the money and the finances, you're taking away from what sort of the intrinsic feeling about sport is. And that, you know, like yesterday, Brodie was in the pod with his phone on, you know, following the Nottingham Forest game. You know, my heart sank when 83 minutes in, Liverpool bang a free kick in from 30 yards away. That's the emotion of sport. And I think you've got to be very careful on how you balance the money and the finances with people that just desperately care about a team and about a country and about Test cricket.
26:22Nas:I think you have to get that balance right.
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27:10Just moving on from that, as the 100 was coming to its conclusion,
27:15Ath:there was plenty of county cricket on the one-day cup. I was actually glued. There was a Tuesday afternoon when the quarterfinals or the group stages was coming to an end. And it was absolutely brilliant watching because Middlesex and Warwickshire were fighting it out to go through and it looked for all money like Middlesex were gone and Warwickshire suddenly collapsed at Edgbaston to Archie Lenham's leg spin and Middlesex dead and buried, you know, 17-year-old Seb Morgan helped get them over the line with a 21-year-old Nathan Fernandes. So there's some good young players doing good things. But then that game finished Tuesday and, you know, you talk about too many formats and the problem with the scheduling, scheduling.
28:04Ath:So that, the game finished Tuesday And the quarterfinals then were on a Thursday So no chance to promote that cricket And Somerset, who finished their home game on a Tuesday Qualified for a home quarterfinal on the Thursday They can't You're trying to turn around a game in 24 hours Hampshire couldn't play at home Because the Southern Brave were at the Utility Bowl Middlesex couldn't play at Lourdes because that was being prepared for the 100 final. So they had to suddenly rush an organised game at a club ground, Radler. And so their quarterfinal was played, you know, on an average pitch in front of an average crowd.
28:44Ath:You know, if you're going to have a tournament, you have to care about that tournament as well. And that scheduling was unsatisfactory. And we've got the final now because Worcestershire beat Somerset yesterday and Hampshire beat Yorkshire.
28:59Nas:I saw Liam Dawson get a big score, 140. He got 140, yeah. Yeah. Well, what about young players? He's an established player. Any young players caught your eye in the Metro Bank?
29:09Ath:Well, that's what that tournament is about now. I mean, you know, it's a kind of hybrid first XI, second XI comp, a development comp, really, because some counties lose an inordinate amount of players. I don't know how many Surrey lose. They lose probably 15 or something. But yeah, some good young players around The Rue brothers I mean, James obviously pretty established But Thomas, his younger brother Looks a real star in the making So Archie Vaughan got his maiden professional 100 In one of those games as well In the game I was watching up at Old Trafford They had two 16-year-olds playing Joe Moores, who has played three or four games In the group stages and he got a quick fire 30 odd at the end to get Langs up to about 290.
29:59Ath:But I think he just finished his GCSEs. He's at school in Macclesfield. And, you know, we can all think what we were or weren't doing at 16, but I don't think I was smacking, you know, a professional attack around.
30:12Nas:You weren't smacking anyone at any stage in your career. So you don't have to give some kind of age thing there. Just I wasn't smacking anyone.
30:21Ath:But yeah, I mean, obviously there are disadvantages to what's happened with the Metro Bank One Day Cup. The fact that 50 over cricket has been downgraded now, it is a development comp. But the upside of it is that there are lots of young players getting opportunities, some quite interesting outgrounds where the games are being played, and some good crowds at the outgrounds as well. I noticed when Yorkshire played at York, I think, against Lancashire, that was a good crowd. Somerset had great crowds at Taunton. So certainly not all doom and gloom there. So it's Worcestershire against Hampshire for the final.
30:56Ath:And the Blast quarterfinals are coming. Surrey-Northance, Durham-Hampshire, Lanks-Kenn, Somerset, Warwickshire. Set up for some good sides that may go through there. I mean, if you were just plucking them, you'd say Surrey-Hampshire-Lanks-Somerset could be the semifinal.
31:14Nas:You've just upset four counties there straight away in one sentence.
31:21Ath:Are you doing Blast Finals Day? I'm doing it. I'm not sure you are.
31:25Nas:No, I've got a week off. And my next action is the T20s against South Africa because I'm a bit of a T20 international specialist. You're doing more of the 50 over stuff starting tomorrow, I'm guessing, at Leeds. Are you up for that?
31:40Ath:Yeah, up to Leeds tomorrow. South Africa are in town. I'm assuming Sean Pollock is in town, is he? He is. Sean Pollock is in town. I don't know why we didn't get him on this podcast. He should be on it.
31:52Nas:Because Broad said to me yesterday, he said, what are you doing between games? Me and Polly are going off to play some fancy course between Manchester and Trent Bridge or whatever. So they're just sorting out their golfing itinerary rather than the cricket.
32:06Ath:So I was looking at, I mean, the last time England played 50 over cricket, their team was Smith, Duckett, Root, Brook, Butler, Bethel, Jacks Kars Rashid Potts and Mahmoud so it seems to me like the batting is going to be very similar but there might just be a bit of a change there Arch is obviously going to come in not sure Potts is in the squad Baker might get a game of course so there might be a bit of tinkering with the bowling but that batting looks pretty strong and settled doesn't it?
32:37Nas:Yeah it does I mean obviously Rob Key wants to give Harry Brook he's still starting off in his captaincy career as an England whiteboard captain, so he wants to give him the best available squad, even right at the end of a very long, hard summer and another tournament. They've just finished 100, but it does look very strong. You always have got to think back, not just recently, but before that, what were they doing not so well? All those players you named and all the talent, English whiteboard talent that they have, why have they struggled in world events and champions trophy? And I think in the batting, they couldn't quite, and you can correct me if I'm wrong here, they couldn't quite get the balance between T20 and 50 over cricket.
33:16Nas:They were still playing a 50 over game as an extension of a T20 game. So people were going in, teeing off, getting 20s and 30s, getting out, and then realizing, hold on, this is quite a long game. And some people say, well, it's because they don't play enough 50 over cricket to get the tempo of their batting right. You know, you could argue, I mean, Morganside played 50 over cricket like that, but they had a lot of depth to their batting and a lot of experience. and some of the all-time great batters in the likes of Roy and Bairstow, the top, followed by Butler, Morgan himself, etc., and a lot of depth down the order.
33:50Nas:So I think that's the key I'm looking for, the tempo. You never want them to go into their shell. They've won tournaments because, you know, they went hard, but I do think they just need to get the tempo of their batting in 50-over cricket, right? And a bit more of a, you know, their bowling looked a bit one-dimensional in the Champions Trophy, all right arm fast, and then heavily reliant on Adil Rashid. So they carry Rayan Ahmed around a lot with them. I think it's about time they'd said to Rayan, even if it means occasionally leaving Adil out on a ground that you don't need two spinners, I do think it's a time Rayan Ahmed, as we've just seen in the 100, and he's played in county cricket so well, do you agree that he needs to now be playing?
34:32Nas:What's the point of having a bib on all the time?
34:36Ath:Yes and no. I believe in picking your best team, actually. and obviously I think Adil Rashid is a better white ball spinner still than Rehan Ahmed. I mean, there might be occasions where you play two spinners, obviously, but I believe in just picking your best team and winning the game in front of you by and by.
34:54Nas:With no future planning?
34:56Ath:No, well, I think the future generally takes care of itself and I don't believe in just dropping people randomly just to give somebody else a game. I mean, Rayan Ahmed, I think, is the kind of ready-made replacement for... I think with Rayan Ahmed, it's more interesting in red ball cricket, actually, where he stands. I think in white ball cricket, you can just see him coming in straight away. And he may play some games over the next week or so. And I just think he'll get through his overspine and obviously offers a great deal with the bat and this terrific young cricketer. The red ball is a bit more uncertain where his position would land in terms of his balance between bat and ball.
35:46Ath:And the competition, there's some other good red ball leg spinners around. South Africa are going to look all right. They've got some good players, Markham, Bavuma, Deval Brevis. It'll be good to see him, their Stubbs, Rabada, Maharaj. They're going to be quite a test, aren't they? And they've been playing up in the Northern Territories where they beat Australia 2-1 in an ODI series, took a thumping in the third game, but beat them 2-1. So they're going to be a good challenge. And one of two things we didn't mention, Bobby Simpson laid to rest since last time we spoke. Terrific coach. Coach Lancashire, actually, for a couple of years.
36:23Ath:And you could see why he'd been such a good coach of Australia. Complete, no-nonsense, old-school coach who just demanded a ferocious work ethic and knew the game. inside out uh chiteshwar pajara's retirement that's we didn't touch on that last week
36:39Nas:yeah one of the old school another one of the old school batters gone really bat for your life over my dead body sort of play the ball late very calm you know some great innings great innings against australia in australia loved by indian fans for playing like that you know protected the middle order from that great middle order with the likes of Coley in there from the new ball. Phenomenal player, really. And a really nice, we worked with him a little bit this summer. He is exactly, when you work with him, how you think he'd be. It's exactly like he was when he batted, really. Very calm, quietly spoken, talks a lot of sense.
37:21Nas:I think just a wonderful man and a real old-school number three. He had to take over from one of the all-time great number threes in Raul Dravid. And he sort of took that on. And it's something that's a little bit lacking in international cricket, number threes, actually. I mean, even in the England side, Joe Root doesn't want to do it. And, you know, Shuman Gill doesn't want to do it for India since he's got the captaincy. He wants to bat four. So in our era, the number three position was your best player, Whether it be Viv Richards or Ricky Ponting or Raoul Dravid or whoever. So not an easy, especially batting after you, not an easy position to do.
38:01Nas:But I think Chetishwa Pujara did it as well as anyone.
38:06Ath:And finally, a bit of news from Oz that Pat Cummins might have back issues. There was just a report that on a routine scan, maybe something showed up. But it looks like he's going to be wrapped in cotton wool before the ashes. and that's going to be the great test, I think, of Australia's seam attack because they don't have massive depth, it would appear. Others are injured as well. And outside of the big four, there's not necessarily an amount of depth there. So that's an interesting little story with the Ashes looming a couple of months away now.
38:44Nas:Yeah, it's going to come down to which top three can actually show up and there's a lot of debate about the top three batting-wise, but also the bowling attack, who can stay fit. I mean, they have stayed historic, and we always hear this before Ashes. They do look after, I think before the previous Ashes, Pat Cummings missed quite a bit of cricket for differing reasons, different reasons, but he was there, ready to be drilled, you know, first ball by Zach Crawley or whatever. But, you know, you often get this. They wrap him in cotton wool, and they have four of them with Scott Boland as well. But England are the same.
39:19Nas:England will have to rotate their seamers. I saw you on TV. You want to go all in. First game, Perth, Optus Stadium. You want to hit them with Wood and Archer. Absolutely. Atkinson, all in. You're going to go that first game.
39:33Ath:Absolutely. I mean, last time, and the ashes that Stuart Broad has kind of removed from his memory, the ashes that don't count, he called it, didn't he? You know, England, they got to Brisbane and they left Anderson and abroad waiting to the second test in Adelaide. I'd go all in, hit them with wooden arches straight away if they're fit. Anyway, we've got plenty of time to chat about all that. What are you doing on your week off, by the way?
39:59Nas:What am I doing? I'm catching up with things. I've been so busy catching up, you know, car, putting a car in.
40:04Ath:It's a fascinating week.
40:07Nas:Basically, you've asked me a question there, and I've got absolutely no idea what I'm doing all week. So I'll be looking. I'll be watching you tomorrow, waffling on on the TV. from Leeds. Forecast is a bit mixed this week, by the way. Wrap up warm. It is a bit mixed. You've often under-clubbed in that pod. You've often looked cold. I know you're a tough opener, but wrap up warm.
40:29Ath:Being 50 over cricket will be up in the commentary box. Oh, yeah, good point. So if it is raining and cold, we'll have a bit of shelter. Anyway, those games this week are at Leeds, Lords, Thursday, Southampton, Sunday, I think. 350 over games and then the T20s to follow against South Africa. next week. So we'll chat next week, but I'll catch you probably at the Cardiff T20. I'm doing one of those T20s. So I'll see you then.
41:02Ath:Hello, I'm Juliet Perrington.
41:04Nas:And I'm Joe Tomlinson. We're the hosts of the one-on-one podcast from Sky Sports.
41:08Ath:Each episode, one of us will sit down for a chat with one of football's biggest names.
41:13Nas:These players themselves
41:14Ath:are now more focused on numbers and things than when you were a player. Yeah, the only number I cared about was the mark I got on the paper. Yeah, exactly. In one-on-one, we'll take you beyond the pitch
41:24Nas:to meet the player or manager behind the headlines.
41:27Ath:I bet the former Man United player WhatsApp group is insane.
41:32Nas:It is good. It's good.
41:34Ath:Who's admin?
41:35Nas:I think it might be real, you know. He loves it.
41:37Ath:And we're here every week on your podcast platform of choice so you can watch us across Sky Sports as well on Sky Sports News,
41:45Nas:on the web, on the app, and also across our social platforms. How good was Oasis? Ah, really good. We have been the best band in the last 50 years, a rock band in the last 50 years. So if you don't already, give one-on-one from Sky Sports a follow so you don't miss an episode.
42:01Ath:That's one-on-one, a Sky Sports podcast.
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